NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH PLAN TAKES LEAD IN FORMING HUMAN CHAIN DURING YWCA's APRIL 30 STAND AGAINST RACISM
Posted by Kristy Johnnson on Thu, Apr 29, 2010 @ 10:10 AM
BOSTON - Neighborhood Health Plan (NHP) today announced its participation in the YWCA's National Stand Against Racism day on April 30, 2010. To call out attention to the project, NHP employees are joining with several other local organizations to form a human chain around the Summer Street and Congress Sreet bridges in Boston's Fort Point Channel area, with signage relating to the event. More than 300 people are expected to participate in the chain. The national civic engagement project will raise awareness that racism still exists in our communities and that it should not be ignored or tolerated.
"Supporting and celebrating diversity in our communities is at the very essence of the mission of Neighborhood Health Plan in seving the health care needs of culturally diverse and vulnerable populations across our State," said Deborah C. Enos, president and CEO of NHP. "This event places a spotlight on the fact that there remains a critical need to create more meaningful dialogue around the issu of racism in our country. Today, we join YWCA Boston in calling out to those millions of like‐minded people supporting tolerance and justice to take action against racism through their everyday lives and relations."
In Boston alone, racially and ethnically motivated crimes have risen 39% over the last three years, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation crime statistics. Nationally, the number of hate groups that promote racism has grown 54% in the last eight years. This type of violence and negativity directly impacts the health and well‐being of the victims of racism and their families.
In response, NHP has joined with the national day's local sponsor, YWCA Boston, and more than 2,000 other organizations nationwide to promote the April 30 Stand Against Racism to combat the spread of hate and intolerance, and to honor and celebrate the richness of diversity. The YWCA expects that more than 250,000 people will participate nationwide.
"We are delighted to have Neighborhood Health Plan take a lead role in our 2010 Stand Against Racism," said YWCA Boston President & CEO Sylvia Ferrell‐Jones. "NHP has been an amazing partner and advocate for our work to empower women and eliminate racism," said Jones, citing NHP's sponsorship of the organization's annual Woman to Woman health education campaign.
In 2009, the program attracted over 300 partnering organizations that became participating sites by hosting local "stands." Over 30,000 individuals took a stand against racism by attending a participating sites' event and sending a strong message. Participants ranged from school‐age children to elected officials, executives of large corporations, church leaders, and others.
For more details, please visit www.StandAgainstRacism.org. For local information, please visit YWCA Boston's Stand page or contact YWCA Boston at (617) 585‐5423 or dialogues@ywcaboston.org.
Neighborhood Health Plan (NHP) is a not‐for‐profit health insurer serving more than 200,000 members across Massachusetts, offering a wide array of competitive Medicaid and commercial products. Working in partnership with community health centers and other community‐responsive providers, NHP focuses on offering members access to care from over 2,800 primary care physicians and over 10,400 specialists in over 300primary care locations throughout Massachusetts. Central to Neighborhood Health Plan's mission, we place special emphasis on serving culturally diverse, traditionally underserved, and vulnerable populations. For more information, visit www.nhp.org.
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